The prosecution in the trial Riad Bouchaker has argued there is ample evidence to convict of attempted murder.
The 52-year-old faces eight charges in relation to an alleged knife attack on Parnell Square in November 2023. He denies all charges.
Yesterday, the jury heard closing speeches and Karl Finnegan of the prosecution spent 40 minutes, summarising his case for why Mr Bouchaker should be found guilty of all eight charges.
The Senior Counsel told the jury that while the evidence was very upsetting, it was worthy of note that ordinary people had come to help others during the alleged attack.
He also commended the first responders - the parademics, doctors and Gardaí - who were swift in their response to the alleged attack.
Addressing the charges levelled against Mr Bouchaker, Mr Finnegan urged the jury to find him guilty of all eight of them.
“Mr Finnegan said he wants to be crystal clear that he is not advocating for Mr Bouchaker to be found guilty of any lesser offence,” Mr Greaney recounted on All Rise: The Riad Bouchaker Trial.
“As we know, the accused has pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempted murder, causing serious harm to Leanne Flynn, three counts of assault causing harm to three others and a knife offence.
“Mr Finnegan made the argument today for guilty verdicts to be returned in relation to those eight specific charges.”
He then turned to Mr Bouchaker’s alleged cognitive activities and reminded the jurors that the option of pleading not guilty by reason of criminal insanity was not available to him, following assessments by two psychiatrists.
“Mr Finnegan told the jurors they would have to assess his [Mr Bouchaker’s] repeated claims that he wasn't in his right mind,” Mr Greaney said.
“But in Mr Finnegan's opinion he was not acting in any absence of mind.”
The Senior Counsel continued that it is the belief of the prosecution that Mr Bouchaker intended to kill children that day and that they had proved their case.
“Intention is vital for the prosecution to succeed, that must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, but it's not enough,” Mr Greaney said.
“The prosecution must also prove that he committed a specific act on a specific child that could have resulted in the death of that child.
“A person rarely, if ever, announces their intention, but Mr Finnegan believes it can be proven in this case by reference to certain inferences from the circumstances.”
At this point, Mr Finnegan then set out once again why the prosecution believes Mr Bouchaker intended to kill children.
“He described Mr Bouchaker's annoyance at the letter he received from social welfare,” Mr Greaney recounted.
“He said he then obtained a weapon, the knife; that weapon, he said, was inherently lethal.
“He spoke about the distance from which he used it against the children and and the adults who were injured in the alleged attack; the parts of the body he targeted, the number and severity of the strikes and stabs, the targeting of school children, the planning beforehand, the waiting for a suitable time to strike, efforts to prevent the childcare worker Leanne Flynn from stopping him going back at the kids after casting her aside and having to be put to the ground by members of the public.
“Taking all of those things into account, Mr Finnegan said there is, in his view, abundant evidence to prove intention to kill.”
Defence
Following Mr Finnegan's 40 minute speech, the court took a break and returned to hear the closing remarks from the defence.
Mr Bouchaker's barrister acknowleged that the event of November 2023 have changed a number of people's lives forever.
He then went through the health issues suffered by his client in recent years, noting he had had brain surgery in 2021.
"He stressed that criminal law distinguishes between what a person does and what is in their mind," Mr Greaney recounted.
"He told jurors that people are not guilty by accident; serious offences require proof of a particular state of mind."
Main image: Riad Bouchaker. Picture by: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews.ie.
